Philippians 3: 8 (KJV)
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
The scripture here reflects Paul’s perspective of his former accomplishments in his old life, He regarded all of them as insignificant compared to the invaluable “prize” of knowing Christ.
The Greek term translated as “dung” in this verse is “skubalon”, meaning waste, excrement or refuse. Paul used this strong word “dung” to describe how worthless and irrelevant his former accomplishments and possessions are, and they can not be compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Hence, He called them dung
Many times, our spiritual growth may not be in terms of what we have gained, but rather in terms of what we have lost; it may not often be in ascending order but in descending order.
The love walk is weighty. The more we are able to walk in love, the more we are laden and overloaded with all sorts. It may look as though we are losing or descending; but of course yes, we are really losing and descending in self and all that will not glorify God.
In spiritual growth, our losses are really our gains; and our humiliation, our exaltation.
You have not fully known Christ until He is your all in all. You have nothing to give to the world until you have given all to God. The only thing that can give God glory is what God gives, for its beginning is from God, so also its ending.
80% of Paul’s prayers for the saints are knowledge based. He would often write “that you may know”, that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened and much more”. Paul too saw something. What a man knows, he can’t deny, what a man sees, he can’t unsee.
The reason the Apostles and church fathers followed Jesus till death was because of what they saw; they didn’t just follow Jesus, they left families, relatives; they abandoned their profession, they went round the length and breadth of the world to witness Jesus. They knew something.
Some were dragged to death, some fed alive to wild animals, others were burnt alive, stoned to death and some beheaded. They saw something.
1 John 1: 1 (KJV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
What did they hear? What did they see? The excellent glory of Christ. It surpasses the glory of this world, it is more than life itself. This same gospel. The gospel of our blessed Lord and saviour.
It is an honour to be named with the name of Christ, to count all things as lost, even as dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ our Lord. For His time is at hand, Glory to His name, even us!
DECLARATION
Dear Lord Jesus, I bow in adoration of your majesty and awesome power. Thank you for the privilege to know you, but most importantly to be known by you. My heart rejoices in you, I am conscious of what you have done and made me to become in you. I am eternally grateful as I fix my gaze on your always, Amen!
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
Romans 1: 16; Philippians 3: 9 – 10
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